#awinewith Tiffany Slater
MEET Tiffany
Tiffany is the CEO HR Tailormade, Find Tiffany here:
Transcript
Danielle Lewis (00:07):
Dr. Tiffany, thank you so much for being here on Spark tv. I'm so excited to have you.
Dr. Tiffany Slater (00:14):
Excited to be here, Danielle. Thank you.
Danielle Lewis (00:16):
Thank you for staying up for me and the Spark community. That is amazing. You're in St. Louis in Missouri?
Dr. Tiffany Slater (00:25):
Yes. Yes, I am. And so actually it's just six P.m here, so it's not too late.
Danielle Lewis (00:32):
No, that's good. That's good. Oh, amazing. Amazing. Well, why don't we start out by telling everybody who you are and what you do, and we'll take it from there.
Dr. Tiffany Slater (00:42):
Okay. Well, I'm Dr. Tiffany Slater. I am the CEO and Senior Human Resources consultant for HR TaylorMade, and we provide human resources support to small businesses. So the same things that human resources department does for a large organization. We just do it for small businesses because most times they can't afford to have a full-time HR person and don't need it, quite frankly.
Danielle Lewis (01:14):
Yeah, I mean, it's interesting. I think so as a small business owner myself, I reflect on, it's really difficult when you're hiring first people kind of going, what do I need the most? And typically HR isn't top of the list, but there's always HR tasks that you would love to have help with, but you kind of can't justify a full-time person sometimes. So this is a brilliant solution. I love it.
Dr. Tiffany Slater (01:40):
Thank you. Thank you.
Danielle Lewis (01:42):
And how did this eventuate? Have you always been in HR or what was your journey to getting here?
Dr. Tiffany Slater (01:49):
Yeah, so I actually have always been in hr. It's the only thing I've done professionally, so almost 30 years of human resources. And I mean, I started as a human resources intern and went all the way up the ladder. So that's really kind of where it started. It's just the fact that that's all I knew to do professionally. And then when I decided to go out on my own, I was like, well, this is the only thing I know how to do. Let me do this.
Danielle Lewis (02:27):
Oh, I love it. I love it. And so did you study something HR related to get into that internship or just blended in it? How did that work?
Dr. Tiffany Slater (02:37):
Yeah, so I did. I actually did. I was working on a bachelor's degree in business administration and my senior year I changed my specialization from entrepreneurship to human resources.
Danielle Lewis (02:54):
Oh, that's so good. They both came back together.
Dr. Tiffany Slater (02:58):
Exactly. And then I got an internship in human resources to see if I really liked it, and I did, and each job led to the next job.
Danielle Lewis (03:09):
That's so good. So at what point did you say that's it, I'm not working for anybody else. I'm doing this myself.
Dr. Tiffany Slater (03:16):
Yeah, I was pretty miserable in my last job, which is the typical story nowadays of entrepreneurs. Most female entrepreneurs now are really quitting because they were unhappy, but I was pretty miserable, and I just figured I would rather trust God than to stay here and be miserable. And that is what I did. And I haven't looked back not one time. That
Danielle Lewis (03:52):
Is amazing because it's pretty scary taking the leap from regular paycheck and the better the devil kind of vibes. If I just stay here, yes, I'm miserable, but at least I know what to expect. What did you do to enable yourself to actually make that decision?
Dr. Tiffany Slater (04:17):
Yeah. Well, Danielle, honestly, I didn't feel like I had a choice. I literally felt like this is so miserable that it could not possibly be any worse. So I was just so unhappy I couldn't do it anymore. And honestly, I just felt like God made it such that I couldn't stay. I just didn't have a choice.
Danielle Lewis (04:51):
Wow. There
Dr. Tiffany Slater (04:52):
Was no other option for me. That's really the way that it felt for me.
Danielle Lewis (04:58):
And how's it been? So obviously going okay, it cannot take it absolutely anymore. I'm doing my own thing. What is then the journey of going from being an employee to business owner been like for you?
Dr. Tiffany Slater (05:14):
Yeah, so it's been really interesting. It's never the same. Every day is different and it wasn't easy.
Danielle Lewis (05:27):
However,
Dr. Tiffany Slater (05:29):
When you walk into my office on the wall, it says, let your faith be bigger than your fear. That sustained me because I was so afraid, but I had already done the hardest thing, which was quit. Yeah,
Danielle Lewis (05:47):
You've already taken the leap.
Dr. Tiffany Slater (05:50):
Yes. I mean, I quit free benefits, a six-figure job and a job that I thought was going to be my dream job. So the hard part was done. What I had to do from that point forward was just trust God. I literally prayed all the time that God just continue to light the path and I would follow. And I just kept saying, God, you made me a promise. You said you would give us of our heart. And as a result of that, I just stayed in the space of embracing my faith, and that has definitely helped me every single step of the way. So it's been hard, but that has been my way of coping and moving through it
Danielle Lewis (06:47):
Well, and I love it because as business owners sometimes that's what you really need to hold onto is just put one foot in front of the other. If you sit down and you look at your to-do list, I'm looking at my to-do list on my desk in front of me right now, and I'm like, I don't know how that's going to happen. I think sometimes that's such a beautiful approach because it is just one day at a time, one minute at a time, one task at a time, one step, one foot in front of the other, just having that faith, that unwavering belief that you can do it and that you did it for a reason and that the path will light up and that everything will be okay.
Dr. Tiffany Slater (07:34):
Absolutely. Absolutely. Part of my journey too was just being very clear on what I will and what I won't do. I love that. One of the things that I decidedly did was I am going to be a very comfortable Christian and I am going to be comfortable speaking about it, not to offend anyone. That is not my intent, but it is my truth and it is I hold on to. And so as a human resources professional, it's frowned upon to do that because you don't want to make anybody feel uncomfortable or that you're discriminating against anyone. And I get it, but this is my business and this is my space, and this is how I choose to show up. So that was very important to me. And then the other thing, I have a no, but whole rules.
Danielle Lewis (08:39):
That is the best rule. That's
Dr. Tiffany Slater (08:41):
The best rule. So I choose who HRTaylorMade will partner with and who our clients will be. And I have the most amazing clients. They're wonderful people and they love their team, and they do all that they can to make sure that they are well taken care of, and that is the way that it should be. So
Danielle Lewis (09:10):
You are so right. We go into business to design a life we love and to create something amazing. And it's so funny that so many people get trapped in, oh, this is the way it should be done. This is what I see all the Instagram gurus doing, so this is what I should do. So absolutely love that you set those non-negotiables for yourself. That is a beautiful way to run business.
Dr. Tiffany Slater (09:39):
Absolutely. Absolutely. And I'll tell you too, what I learned is that I really love being a business owner.
Danielle Lewis (09:48):
Tell me why.
Dr. Tiffany Slater (09:51):
So I don't know. I've fallen in love with systems. I've fallen in love with order and efficiency and making things run smoothly and results, and seeing the strategy that you put together actually bear fruit. So I am on a mission to becoming an amazing business owner, and that honestly is more important to me right now than being an amazing HR person. So I'm trying to balance that and finding amazing team members who can do the great HR stuff to allow me to do the great business stuff. That
Danielle Lewis (10:44):
Is so cool, because that's so important actually surrounding yourself. So as a business owner, I think we get into it and we are it right? We are the be all and end all. We do the things, we sell the things, we run the business, we create the vision. But at some point, if we want to scale, we really do have to bring in amazing people into our world. So I love that. What are you doing to skill up, to level up and become a better business owner? Are there things that you're actively seeking out?
Dr. Tiffany Slater (11:13):
Well, yeah, I'm like a knowledge junkie.
Danielle Lewis (11:19):
That's amazing. Yes,
Dr. Tiffany Slater (11:22):
I love learning. I can frequently be caught searching for the end of Google, so that is one of the things that I do. I'm always looking for and researching things. I also, like today, I had a sales training that I went to. Sales is my least favorite thing to do. It's my
Danielle Lewis (11:50):
Least favorite thing to do.
Dr. Tiffany Slater (11:53):
So I went to training so that I can get better. I have another training session that I'm going to on Wednesday. It's a female leadership class, and then I'm going through EOS training, entrepreneur operating system. So I am constantly learning and taking in all of the things that will help me shore up my infrastructure so that it can support growth and it can support an amazing team. So that's what I'm doing.
Danielle Lewis (12:26):
I love that. I think that having that mindset of continuously learning is so important. I mean, I think that there are some basic business fundamentals like financial reports and systems and maybe a little hr, but I think everything, I think every year the world changes, our industry changes, and if we don't adopt that continuous learning mindset, we can get left behind. And that big vision that we had for our business doesn't always come to fruit.
Dr. Tiffany Slater (13:05):
Exactly. Or may start looking like something that you don't even recognize.
Danielle Lewis (13:11):
Yes, that's so true. I reflect on my past 10 years in business, and that has absolutely been turning points for me is when I go, oh, I don't like this anymore. I don't like showing up here anymore. I was like, well, you are the boss, so you can change this, you can fix this. And it has been about taking a step back and really trying to reconnect with my values, what it is I'm trying to build, but then also doing the work and doing the research and learning and figuring out what my path is in business.
Dr. Tiffany Slater (13:51):
For sure.
Danielle Lewis (13:53):
No, I love it. I love it. So what about challenges? So have there been any kind of key moments in your business journey that have really challenged you, and how have you overcome those?
Dr. Tiffany Slater (14:06):
So I'm actually in that phase right now. That's challenging me and I have not yet overcome it, but we are doing well financially, but not well enough to have a full-time employee yet. So I have a couple, I have some contractors, but we're trying to grow, but I need more clients. And so do I hire the full-time person first or do I wait on the clients? So that's where I am.
Danielle Lewis (14:38):
Such a balancing act, isn't it? It's a really tough one.
Dr. Tiffany Slater (14:42):
It is. It definitely is. And from what I understand, it is not uncommon for business owners to be here.
Danielle Lewis (14:52):
I mean, so interesting how your business helps other businesses with this whole problem when a small business is going through a phase where they need help but potentially can't afford a full-time HR person. You actually plug in and solve that problem. But funny how even you as a HR professional have the same problem in other areas.
Dr. Tiffany Slater (15:14):
Yes, absolutely. And it's almost like a psychic who can't read themselves. It feels like it's kind of the same thing for me when it comes to some HR things. It's like I know the answer for other people, but being in myself, it's almost kind of hard for me to even wrap my head around it.
Danielle Lewis (15:43):
Yeah, it is really difficult, isn't it? I mean, it's like they say the website designer whose websites never built or the builder whose house is never finished, it's sort of like we spend so much of our time and energy making sure our clients are okay, looked after happy, we're driving results, but sometimes we feel guilty for actually taking a step back and reevaluating our own businesses.
Dr. Tiffany Slater (16:09):
Absolutely. Absolutely. I agree 100% because I am constantly thinking about all the things that need to be done for other people.
Danielle Lewis (16:20):
So how do you look after you in business? So if we think about business and you as separate entities, maybe they are, maybe they're not. How do you look after you and keep yourself sane through this crazy journey?
Dr. Tiffany Slater (16:35):
I would venture to say I don't do a really good job, although lately I have been much more intentional. I actually have, was it last week? Last week I went for a pedicure. I went to dinner with a friend. I just took an evening where I just went about my afternoon really slowly and enjoyed things. I've started downloading audio books of non-business related things, and I did the audio books so that I wouldn't feel like I was working and I can just listen to it and not physically do anything else but listen. So I've done that.
Danielle Lewis (17:25):
That's amazing. I love that. That's a really good hack actually doing the listening and that way you don't feel like you're actually working. You can totally zen out.
Dr. Tiffany Slater (17:34):
You could paint your fingernails if you want to. I don't paint my fingernails because I like to pick it off, but that's actually something really good that you could do at that time to truly just stop. Or a lot of times I'll take a walk and I'll listen to the book. So there's so many little things that I do that definitely help. And there's a gym not far from me that I'll go to a couple times a week. So that that's all I got.
Danielle Lewis (18:08):
Well, I love it though because I think it is the small things. I think if we go, I'm taking three days off a week or I'm doing this, it's one of those things I find if you think too big sometimes it's too hard. So it is actually those micro moments of the pedicure or the slow afternoon or the audiobook. I actually love that. And I think breaking it up is really important as well. If we kind of go alright, for the next five days straight, I'm just in total work mode. You almost don't enjoy it by the end. So exhausted. So breaking it up is super important.
Dr. Tiffany Slater (18:50):
Yes, I agree. And honestly, these trainings that I go to, I know their work,
Danielle Lewis (18:56):
But
Dr. Tiffany Slater (18:57):
They're energizing because I always walk away with something that I can actually implement as soon as I leave. And so that feels good.
Danielle Lewis (19:07):
That's such a good word, energizing, right? How awesome to find things in your business that give you energy.
Dr. Tiffany Slater (19:14):
Yes, yes. Tell me more about that. Especially when it forces me to go out of my office that is in my home. Yes. Same. And I introvert. So when I can say that I've done something with other people that gave me energy, that's a big deal.
Danielle Lewis (19:35):
Yeah. Oh my gosh, I totally appreciate that. I have to drag myself out of the house for networking events and things, and every now and again, you find a really good one. You're like, oh, that was so awesome. I'm ready to take on the world.
Dr. Tiffany Slater (19:50):
Yes.
Danielle Lewis (19:51):
I love it. I love it. Okay, let's leave our beautiful smart community with one last piece of advice. If you were speaking to a female founder who was just getting started and feeling a little bit overwhelmed with what they'd bitten up in terms of starting their own business, would there be any piece of advice that you might give them that is held true for you in your journey?
Dr. Tiffany Slater (20:16):
Yes. Don't go the journey alone. Get one, two, or five business besties. Get a tribe. Get a group of people or a person who is going through the same thing that you're going through, starting their business so that when you are talking about your frustrations, you've got someone who truly understands because they're going through it at two. And maybe you all can support each other through the journey, you can help each other. But that is what I did and it has sustained me. We've learned from each other, and I would not trade my business besties for anything in the world.
Danielle Lewis (21:04):
That is incredible. And I think such a wise piece of advice. I could not agree with you more on the days where I'm feeling like I can't do it. They're the people you call, they're the ones who drop a quick text or an Instagram message or a phone call, and they're always there to support you.
Dr. Tiffany Slater (21:23):
Yes, they are.
Danielle Lewis (21:25):
Beautiful. Tiffany, you are absolutely incredible. Thank you so much for sharing your journey and wisdom and thoughts on this whole crazy ride that we call business. It's been an honor to have you.
Dr. Tiffany Slater (21:40):
Thank you. Such an honor to be here and to meet you.
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